Simply Not True”: Dassault CEO Shoots Down Pak Claim On Indian Rafales

New Delhi:

Dassault Aviation Chairman and CEO Eric Trappier has dismissed as “factually incorrect” Pakistan’s claims about having shot down three Rafale fighter jets of the Indian Air Force (IAF) during Operation Sindoor.

In an interview to French magazine Challenges, Mr Trappier said: “What Pakistan is claiming about downing three Rafales is simply not true.”

He made it clear that Dassault, the French company that manufactures the Rafale, has received no official communication from the IAF indicating any such losses.

“What we already know is that what the Pakistanis are saying about destroying three Rafale planes is inaccurate,” Mr Trappier said.

“When the complete details are known, the reality may surprise many,” he added.

In the interview just ahead of the Paris Air Show, Mr Trappier highlighted the formidable reputation of the Rafale as a premier multirole fighter jet. “If you want a single aircraft capable of air-to-air combat, reconnaissance, ground strikes, nuclear deterrence, and aircraft carrier deployment, Rafale is unmatched,” he said.